Ford prepares Mustang Cobra for 2027 debut without Shelby American
Ford has announced the Mustang Cobra, with a debut planned for 2027, according to Kolesa.ru. The company is developing the model without Shelby American and no longer plans to offer factory-built Shelby versions of the seventh-generation Mustang.
Ford Racing, the company's motorsport division, has released an audio teaser featuring the roar of the upcoming model's engine. The Cobra is expected to get a particularly powerful naturally aspirated V8 based on the engine in the Mustang GT3 race car. Preliminary reports suggest the sports car will be track-focused, but Ford has yet to disclose its specifications.
The new Cobra will join the Mustang S650 lineup, which already includes the Dark Horse and Mustang GTD. The latter remains a road car, even though Ford has set its sights on breaking records with it.
Ford relaunched its motorsport division in 2025 under the Ford Racing name. CEO Jim Farley wants to give it creative freedom so that flagship Mustang-based projects will no longer need approval from Shelby American. The publication cites this approval process, rather than the cost of licensing the Shelby name, as the reason for abandoning the previous partnership arrangement.
The Cobra name appeared on the most powerful Mustang variants as far back as the first generation. In 1965, Carroll Shelby transferred the rights to the name to Ford for $1 as a gesture of friendship with Henry Ford II. Ford verbally promised that Shelby would be free to use the name as he wished. Ford subsequently used it for high-performance versions of the Mustang and other models, while Shelby tried to reclaim the rights in court but lost.
This is not the first time the partners have parted ways. The first split came in 1969, when Carroll Shelby was unhappy that Mustangs were becoming heavier and less agile, and found the terms of the partnership burdensome. By the time the fifth-generation Mustang arrived, the two sides had resumed their partnership and jointly developed flagship versions under the Shelby name. Factory-built Shelby variants continued into the sixth generation.
Shelby American, meanwhile, continues to produce its own sports cars based on the current Mustang. Its lineup includes the Shelby Super Snake, Shelby Super Snake-R, Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350/TA. All carry a cobra emblem, while Ford has yet to reveal the emblem for the upcoming Mustang Cobra.